Ms Smith’s death sparked numerous investigations and reviews, including by police, the state government and the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. The NDIS Commission’s independent investigation led to 10 recommendations, including that vulnerable NDIS participants should have multiple carers.
The study provides important insights into the challenges experienced by staff working in Victorian disability residential settings in the second wave of Victoria’s COVID-19 pandemic. It describes the findings from a national on-line survey of 357 disability support workers (DSWs) conducted between May and June 2020.
Disability charities are stepping up to play a part in Australia’s vaccine rollout, opening hubs across the country to help people with disability and their support staff get vaccinated.
“And the reason Sunnyfield refused to participate in a conciliation is that you had already decided to evict Melissa and you did not wish to have any conciliation until after the eviction had occurred. That’s right, isn’t it?” Ms Eastman said.
In Victoria’s second wave, we saw COVID-19 outbreaks in over 60 group homes. Achieving high-levels of vaccination among workers is critical if people with disability are to be protected against COVID-19. Between March and April 2021 300 Disability Support Workers were asked about their vaccine intentions, who they trust to provide information, and other concerns that they have. This report presents the findings from the survey.
Lead author Anne Kavanagh from the University of Melbourne said the survey found of those undecided, 68 per cent reported there was inadequate data about the safety of the vaccine and 59 per cent were worried about possible side effects.
There is no doubt about it: the NDIS quality and safeguarding system is a complicated beast. Many newly transitioned providers are scratching their heads about what all this means in practice. If you aren’t sure whether you are across the fundamentals, here’s some questions to help…
Australia’s more than 6000 disability homes were to be among the first to receive vaccinations under phase 1a of the plan released by Mr Hunt in January. But a parliamentary COVID-19 committee heard on Tuesday that just 93 group disability homes – or about 1500 of the 25,000 residents – had received their first vaccinations.
The family of a disabled Brisbane man says he was left without support funding for five weeks after the National Disability Insurance Scheme took months to review his case.
The Disability Gateway has information and services to help people with disability, their family, friends and carers, to find the support they need in Australia. It covers support in 10 areas of life such as housing, transport, legal and rights, and education.
This federally-funded service aims to be a one-stop shop for disability information and services. Mary Mallett, the CEO of Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA), hoped the gateway will refer people to disability advocacy services when needed. But she said this could pose problems for advocacy services, many of which were already at capacity around the country.
Disabled and other vulnerable Australians were among the worst affected when parts of the country shut down to defeat COVID-19. Its estimated around a third of people living with disability weren’t able to access vital support because services were cancelled, leaving them even more isolated and vulnerable. That’s also highlighted just how difficult it can be to access that support in the first place.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme Worker Screening Check (NDIS Check) will start on 1 February 2021. The NDIS Check is a way to ensure that people who work with NDIS participants do not present an unacceptable risk to participants.
This is an interim report which makes 14 recommendations to address key issues facing the NDIS workforce. The committee will continue to consider these issues next year and intends to present a final report on the NDIS workforce to Parliament in 2021.
More than 75% of people with disabilities across Australia last year did not have legal representation at their NDIS appeals, according to data obtained under freedom of information from the AAT, which reviews government administrative decisions. While people with disabilities are attending their NDIS appeals without any legal representation, the NDIA uses up to three lawyers to represent it in one tribunal hearing.